A great year for Monaghan GAA culminated in the appointment of Castleblayney and Scotstown stalwart Paraic Duffy as the GAA's new Director General. Here, we chart his rise from Monaghan County Board Youth Officer to what is arguably the most important position in Irish sport. On February 1st next, Castleblayney native Paraic Duffy will assume the GAA's top administrative post when he succeeds Liam Mulvihill as director general. Duffy's elevation to the most high-profile and important position in Irish sport is a huge achievement for a man who has long been regarded as one of the leading administrators in the GAA. In becoming the GAA's 18th director general, he is charged with leading the Association for the next seven years, a challenge he is eagerly looking forward to. Duffy, who left his job as principal of St. Macartan's College to join the Croke Park staff as Player Welfare Manager earlier this year, has promised to improve the GAA's relations with players and pay greater attention to the needs of clubs when he takes office in the New Year. "In terms of priorities, the first one would be the development of a national strategic plan where we outline our achievable aims over the next three or four years and have it ready for Congress in Sligo next April. I prefer setting short-term goals, I don't believe in 10 or 15 year plans. That will be a big process in itself," he told the assembled media following his appointment on November 22 last. "It's not a question of me setting personal goals, it's a team thing. We'll develop a clear set of priorities. "These are issues around the development of hurling and urbanisation. There is a situation now where we have an increase in the number of large towns and how the GAA makes a presence in those areas. The challenge now is to consider developing biggest clubs or new clubs." Married to Vera and father to Mark and Paul who are both involved with the Scotstown club, (indeed, Mark was an important part of the successful Monaghan squad of 2007) Paraic Duffy has come a long way since he was first appointed as youth officer of the Monaghan county board in 1976. The former Castleblayney Faughs player moved on from there to become vice-chairman and PRO of the county board in 1980 and '81. Also in 1980, he won a prestigious McNamee Award for his production of the 1979 Monaghan GAA Yearbook. In 1983, Paraic was elected chairman of the Monaghan county board, a position his late father Mick had served with distinction for 21 years. Padraic held the post for five years, during which time he totally transformed the administration of the GAA in the Farney County. Paraic's term as chairman coincided with Monaghan's most successful period on the playing field as they captured the National League for the first and only time and also came within a whisker of reaching the All-Ireland final in 1985 when they lost to Kerry after a replay. He served as a selector with then manager Sean McCague from 1983 to '87. His involvement with teams continued into the new millennium when he was the International Rules tour manager in Australia in 2001, and he fulfilled a similar role on two junior tours 'Down Under' as well. Furthermore, Paraic has been involved with coaching at all levels with his adopted club of Scotstown, and holds a Club Coach Level One Award. He also served as their PRO for a number of years. In 1993 and '94, Paraic represented Monaghan on the Ulster Council. By then, his expertise as an able and imaginative administrator was being recognised at national level and he had already served on a number of Croke Park committees. His steady rise through the ranks continued in 2000 when his old friend and GAA president Sean McCague appointed him chairman of the Games Administration Committee (GAC). Despite being regarded as something of a poisoned chalice, Duffy revelled in the role and brought about great improvements in the area of discipline. Subsequently, he chaired the Coaching & Games Development Committee (2003-'06) and the National Audit Committee (2006) before taking up the new full-time role of Player Welfare Manager. In this role, he has facilitated the publishing of key reports on player burnout (he was secretary of the Player Burnout Task Force), and the playing of club fixtures, as well as initiatives relevant to medical issues within the Association, and in particular cardiac screening and the provision of defibrillators (through his work with the Medical, Scientific and Welfare Committee). Working with the Higher Education Committee, he has also been instrumental in the creation of a bursaries scheme for third level colleges earlier this year. However, his tenure as Player Welfare Manager will be remembered most for his work with inter-county players and the GPA on a variety of welfare issues. He enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the players' body and played an important part in bringing about a successful conclusion to the Government grants scheme issue. GAA president Nickey Brennan has described Duffy as a man with an outstanding record of effective and practical service to the GAA at club, colleges, county and national level. He said that he had fulfilled various roles and delivered on briefs down the years with authority and distinction. He added that his ability, integrity and intellectual capability to address core issues in the GAA was recognised and appreciated by all closely involved in the affairs of the Association. Outgoing director general Liam Mulvihill said that he had respected and admired Paraic's commitment, dedication and professionalism as an innovator and administrator for many years. The Longford man said that he could not think of anybody more suitable and capable of taking on the responsibility and challenges of director general, adding that he was confident that the management of the administration of the Association would be safe hands in the years ahead. Paraic becomes only the fourth man to hold the top administrative post in the GAA since 1929 and 18th in all. He is also the first Ulster man to be appointed to the position which was previously held by the likes of GAA founder Michael Cusack, Croke Park purchaser Frank B Dineen (after who Hill 16 has been named), Luke O'Toole, Sean O Siochain and Padraig O Caoimh. Not surprisingly, there was strong competition for the position of director general this time around, but in the end Duffy lived up to his favourites' billing by seeing off Croke Park stadium manager Peter McKenna, and company managing director and former Dublin footballer Pat Gilroy, to land the plum job. In his 30 years as a GAA administrator, Paraic Duffy has shown outstanding leadership, innovation and vision. He is regarded as a very progressive, far-seeing administrator who will transform the Association in the same way as he changed the Monaghan county board for the better all those years ago. Ultimately, Duffy wants the GAA to be as strong in all parts of the country as it is in his native county. "Monaghan can call on incredible support, a huge following from just 56,000 people which is passionate and loyal. "If the GAA nationally was as strong as the organisation in Co. Monaghan, we would have one hell of an Association," he said. Tweet

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